Footwear covering apparatus

ABSTRACT

A covering apparatus includes a body having a closed first end and an open second end defining an opening, the body being sized to fit over human footwear. The body is disposable and is operable to prevent contaminants of the wearer from exiting the body after being donned on the footwear.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from the provisional application Ser. No. 60/659,458 filed on Mar. 8, 2005.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for masking and/or providing scents on hunter's clothing and, in particular, to a footwear covering apparatus for masking scents on the footwear and, optionally, providing desirable scents.

Various prior art footwear coverings are shown in the following U.S. patents:

-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,008 entitled “Footwear Device for Hunters”. -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,418 entitled “Footwear Device for Reducing     Walking Related Noise”. -   U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,804 entitled “Scent Dispenser”. -   U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,324 entitled “Footwear System for Hunting”.

Most big game hunters, especially archery hunters who actively pursue whitetail deer via tree stands and ground blinds, have witnessed the superior olfactory senses of deer, elk, bear, etc. Hundreds if not thousands of products are on the market today to aid hunters by disguising or covering up the human and/or foreign scent that is so alarming to these animals. Cover and/or scent eliminating sprays, carbon scent-control clothing (face masks, gloves, jackets, pants, coveralls . . . ), scentless soaps, shampoos, laundry detergents, sanitary wipes, etc., are all designed to help get serious hunters closer to their quarry. These products are enjoying great popularity as more and more hunters realize the value of scent management in successful big game hunting.

Regarding footwear and the scent path a hunter leaves while traveling to and from a hunting stand, the most accepted “scent-free” material for boots has been rubber. Rubber tends to be less absorbent than leather or Cordura (a registered trademark owned by Invista North America S.A.R.L. Corporation of Wilmington, Del.) when it comes in contact with various odors. However, rubber boots, under real field conditions, are far from the perfect solution to masking a foot path. Scents may be removed from rubber boots by sterilization, such as by boiling or the like, but this is an impractical solution, as often hunting boots are worn not only for hunting but other activities which may involve the inadvertent acquisition of an undesirable scent.

It is desirable to provide an apparatus for masking and/or providing scents on hunter's clothing and, in particular, to a footwear covering apparatus for masking scents on the footwear and, optionally, providing desirable scents. It is also desirable to provide a footwear covering apparatus that is economical to produce and, optionally, is disposable and/or able to be sterilized.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a footwear covering apparatus that includes a body having a closed first end and an open second end defining an opening, the body being sized to fit over a foot covering of a user's body. The body is disposable and is operable to prevent contaminants from exiting the body after being donned on the foot covering.

The apparatus in accordance with the present invention provides an affordable and effective way to address the problem of scent detection by a hunter's prey while also providing uses in other applications and industries.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above, as well as other advantages of the present invention, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a footwear covering in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of an alternative embodiment of a footwear covering in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the second ends of the footwear covings shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with a “ring roll” or “bead”; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/659,458, filed on Mar. 8, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a footwear covering apparatus in accordance with the present invention is indicated generally at 10. The covering 10 includes a generally tubular body 12 having a closed and preferably rounded first end 14 and an open second end 16 having an opening 18 for receiving an article of footwear (not shown) such as a boot of the type worn by a human. The covering 10 is formed in the general shape of a fitted sock wherein the body 12 is seamless having a substantially uniform width and is angled to have a foot/ankle contour.

Referring now to FIG. 2, an alternative embodiment of a footwear covering apparatus in accordance with the present invention is indicated generally at 20. The covering 20 includes a generally tubular body 22 having a closed and preferably rounded first end 24 and an open second end 26 having an opening 28 for receiving an article of footwear (not shown) such as a boot of the type worn by a human. The covering 20 is formed in the shape of a tube sock wherein the body 22 is seamless having a substantially uniform width and is substantially straight from the first end 24 to the second end 26.

The covering 10 or 20 is preferably sized to fit over a wearer's footwear, such as hunting boots, work boots or the like. Alternatively, the covering 10 or 20 is sized to fit over a wearer's socks or bare feet. The length and width of the body 12 or 22, therefore, may be chosen to fit over a wide variety of shoes, boots, or the like, and to cover a user's legs from the toe to the ankle or up to the knee, depending on the amount of scent protection desired by the user. For example, some users may only want coverage to the ankle level, while others may prefer coverage closer to the knee level.

As shown in FIG. 3, the opening 18, 28 at the second end 16, 26 includes “ring roll” or “bead” 30 that facilitates donning and offers additional strength at the stress area of the cover when donning. The manufacturing of the opening 18, 28 at the second end 16, 26 with the bead 30 is also easily done, as this process parameter is used regularly in the glove and condom industry, discussed in more detail below.

The body 12 or 22 is preferably formed from a natural rubber latex material, which possess favorable characteristics in terms of fit and function. Natural rubber latex as a raw material source is advantageously readily available in the US and around the globe. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other non-latex polymers such as nitrile, neoprene, polyvinyl-chloride (PVC), polyurethane and styrene butadiene may also be utilized. The preference of natural rubber latex material is attributed to optimal stretch and strength features, as natural rubber latex has typical ultimate elongation rating of 750% or more before aging and 720% or more after aging and a tensile strength before aging of 20 MPa and 18 MPa after aging.

Best seen in FIG. 4, the body 12 is shown in cross section and defines a wall thickness 32, indicated by arrows. Similarly, the body 22 defines a wall thickness (not shown) and the thickness of the bodies 12 and 22 will be described using the reference numeral 32. The wall thickness 32 of the body 12 or 22 will be appropriate to offer durable features of cut and abrasion resistance, yet maintain its “skin” appearance and feel. It is anticipated that the wall thickness 32 of the bodies 12 and 22 would range anywhere from 0.006 inches to 0.012 inches, which compares to high risk latex gloves, which require extra thickness for rugged duty. A preferred range of the wall thickness 32 is 0.007 inches to 0.009 inches.

Because natural rubber latex can be easily dyed, making the bodies 12 and 22 from natural rubber latex also enables the use of a wide range of colors, which can include, for example, fluorescent or highly visible colors for safety in brush and woods, or other colors, depending on the type of anticipated use.

The covering 10 or 20 will not likely require sterilization, as in surgical gloves. The typical reason for sterilizing gloves is to kill bacteria. Should sterilization add any value to the performance of the foot covering 10 or 20, natural rubber latex is compatible with gamma ray irradiation techniques, which would not add significant cost to the process. Regardless of the material used, the body 12 or 22 can be manufactured in both a sterilized version and a non-sterilized version. The sterilized version is advantageous for hunters to help eliminate scents in their tracks. When applied properly (i.e. with clean hands and on non-contaminated ground), the sterilized covering 10 or 20 will prevent undesirable scents and odors from being left on foot paths taken by hunters in and out of the field.

The covering 10 or 20 can be packaged with the material of the body 12 or 22 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, or gathered or rolled toward the closed end 14 or 24, or in any other suitable manner. The covering 10 or 20 may then be donned by stretching the opening 18 or 28 and gathered material, the toe of the shoe or boot (not shown) can be inserted into the opening 18 or 28 and tight against the closed end 14 or 24 of the covering 10 or 20. The material of the body 12 or 22 is then slowly released and stretched up and over the footwear until the desired level above the ankle is reached. Preferably, care should be taken as to maintain a tight fit throughout the stretching process. Once the covering 10 or 20 has been donned, it advantageously prevents scents on the footwear from exiting the body 12 or 22. After use, the covering 10 or 20 may be advantageously discarded.

A light powder lubricant (not shown), such as but not limited to, corn starch, or the like may be provided on the interior surface of the body 12 or 22 to make donning the covering 10 or 20 easier. The light powder typically employed for donning is made from USDA consumable corn starch talc (only for non-medical products), or alternatively, the light powder is baking soda. If powder-free, the covering 10 or 20 is subjected to post dip machine chlorination procedures, known to those skilled in the art, which modifies the surface texture of natural rubber latex for lubricity purposes.

The covering 10 or 20 in accordance with the present invention is preferably manufactured by a dip molding process that is well known to those skilled in the art. Dip molding involves the lowering of a form or mandrel (not shown) into a polymer bath (not shown), attracting a thin liquid film deposition onto the form after raising the form or mandrel from the bath. The film is dried for subsequent removal from the form, after which the form or mandrel returns to the start of the process. This process is commonly used in the manufacturing of both examination gloves and condoms. Advantageously, when natural rubber latex is dip molded, the latex tends to settle at the bottom of the form when it is raised from the dipping tank to dry, which tends to yield slightly more latex material to the foot area of the covering 10 or 20 proximate the first end 14 or 24, adding the benefit of greater wall thickness 32 and, therefore, greater material strength on the sole where contact is made with the walking surface, where the greatest amount of material strength is desirable. No special or costly manufacturing considerations would be required to manufacture this covering 10 or 20, compared to other mature products in the latex dip molding industry. After dip molding has occurred, it is anticipated that the wall thickness 32 of the covering 10 or 20 would average about 0.006 inches at the second end 16 or 26, about 0.011 inches in the middle portion between the first end 14 and the second end 16 or the first end 24 and the second end 26, and about 0.013 inches at the closed lower end 14 or 24.

The dip molding process is proven technology and offers many potential manufacturing sources and would likely employ would be “batch” processing technique, well known to those skilled in the art.

Dip molding also lends itself to the addition of overdips and secondary layers that sometimes proves beneficial for certain products. For this covering 10 or 20, a secondary “tread” layer for the sole of the covering 10 or 20 is feasible if desired, to reinforce the area that typically needs the most protection from possible punctures. In addition, size of the covering 10 or 20 can vary as desired with no difficulty or challenge to manufacturing processes for natural rubber latex dip molding. A secondary covering 15 is shown on the covering 10 in FIG. 1 adjacent to the closed end 14.

In addition, the covering 10 or 20 can be provided in both a non-textured and textured version, depending on the type of form used in the dipping process. Smooth forms will yield a smooth finish on the exterior surface of the covering 10 or 20 while textured forms including, but not limited to, raised patterns, deer prints, horns, company logos, and the like, will yield a textured finish 25 as shown in FIG. 2 on the exterior surface of the covering 20.

The covering 10 or 20 can be offered with or without scent. While the anticipated use of the covering 10 or 20 is to help eliminate scent or be “scent-less” in nature, many hunters prefer to use cover or masking scents. A scented version of the covering 10 or 20 can be accomplished through a process whereby various artificial scents, for example, but not limited to, acorn, evergreen, earth, apple, and sage are micro-encapsulated directly into the rubber latex (referred to in the industry as “latiscent”). This is accomplished at the manufacturing plant by adding scenting agents to the latex dip tank during processing.

While the covering 10 or 20 in accordance with the present invention has been described in the context of masking scents and the like for hunters, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the apparatus may be utilized in many fields including, but not limited to, hospital workers, construction workers, painters, and the like where it is desirable to not contaminate or soil walking surfaces. For example, with hospital workers, the covering 10 or 20 could be utilized in place of or in addition to the blue cloth footwear covers. The covering 10 or 20 could be offered in various colors to coordinate with scrubs and/or examination gloves, sized to cover shoes opposed to boots, and would offer several advantages such as ‘one size fits all’, ease of disposal, increased traction on tile surfaces, more efficient packaging, as well as the advantages of a sterile covering 10 or 20. In the construction field, the covering 10 or 20 could be donned by construction workers as they enter the “inside” of a construction site, keeping mud, dirt and debris from soiling and damaging interior floors and carpet. The covering 10 or 20 could be utilized by many painters to protect footwear and for homeowners and in gardening or lawn care, the covering 10 or 20 can be also used to keep mud, dirt and grass off of footwear.

Natural rubber latex has been a stellar performer for years for barrier type products such as gloves, swim caps, cast covers, condoms, dental dam, etc. The manufacturing processes for natural rubber latex include dip molding and cast sheet, which are mature ones. In addition, natural rubber latex is the best film of all types of lattices, whereby the covering 10 or 20 can be rolled up easily for flat packaging. An example of this is that of latex condoms, which are rolled until flat for compact packaging.

The covering 10 or 20 can be made as one time use disposable, and still be priced affordably. This simplifies covering 10 or 20 effectiveness, as it is beneficial to keep human touch away from the covering 10 or 20 as much as possible. This optimizes effectiveness against wild game such as deer and bear from detecting human scent.

The covering 10 or 20 in accordance with the present invention provides many advantages including a “one size fits all” covering 10 or 20, ease of disposal, increased traction on tile or other slippery or skid-prone surfaces, more efficient packaging, and a covering 10 or 20 that may be manufactured as 100% sterile.

The use of natural rubber latex poses no significant threat to latex sensitive individuals, given the location and use of the covering 10 or 20. No long term contact with human skin is present, and only during donning does skin contact with the latex ever occur. Latex sensitive individuals could apply the covering 10 or 20 by first, for example, donning a pair of synthetic latex gloves, if necessary.

Natural rubber latex products are very form fitting. The coverings 10 or 20 will, when stretched to its desired location, generally stay is place well and advantageously do not sag or drop, as with other stiffer polymers such as polyurethane, vinyl, and polyethylene.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope. 

1. A covering apparatus for use on human footwear comprising: an elongated tubular body having a closed first end and an open second end defining an opening, said body being sized to fit over a human footwear, said body being disposable and operable to prevent contaminants from exiting said body after being donned on the footwear.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is formed in a shape of one of a fitted sock and a tube sock.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is sterile.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is formed of a colored material.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is formed of a rubber latex material.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is formed of a one of a nitrile material, a neoprene material, a polyvinyl-chloride (PVC) material, a polyurethane material and a styrene butadiene material.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is formed with a wall thickness in a range of 0.006 inches to 0.012 inches.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is formed with a wall thickness in a range of 7 mil to 9 mil.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said wall thickness of said body decreases from said first closed end to said second open end.
 10. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is formed with a textured exterior surface.
 11. The apparatus according to claim 1 including a lubricating material on an interior surface of said body.
 12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said lubricating material is a one of corn starch and baking soda.
 13. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is scented.
 14. The apparatus according to claim 1 including a ring roll or bead formed on said body at said second open end.
 15. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is sized to cover a human boot.
 16. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is sized to cover the footwear and a portion of a leg of a human wearing the footwear.
 17. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body includes a secondary tread layer adjacent said first closed end.
 18. A covering apparatus for use on human footwear comprising: an elongated tubular body having a closed first end and an open second end defining an opening, said body being formed of a natural latex rubber material and sized to fit over a human footwear, said body being operable to prevent a scent from exiting said body after being donned on the footwear.
 19. The apparatus according to claim 1 including a lubricating material on an interior surface of said body.
 20. The apparatus according to claim 1 including a ring roll or bead formed on said body at said second open end. 